A Clean Ohio revival?

Friday

May 30, 2008 at 12:01 AMMay 30, 2008 at 2:37 PM

Ohioans will have a chance this November to revive a popular state program that's helped clean up more than 140 abandoned industrial sites, including the former Columbus A.C. Humko margarine factory shown above.

The Clean Ohio Fund, a $400 million program first approved by voters in 2000, has also helped preserve 25,600 acres for wildlife and protected 20,000 acres of farmland from development and built more than 216 miles of recreation trails.

The program's ability to fund more such work has fallen as most of the money has been doled out. State lawmakers this week passed a bill that will ask voters to approve another $400 million Nov. 4. The money would come from state bond sales.